The Phantom's Shadow
by Carmellos
Summary: The Phantom of the Opera has a shadow…who is it? Who keeps leaving chilling letters, blood curdling discoveries? It’s up to Christine and the Phantom to find out…
1. The Phantom's Call

"No, please no don't! He didn't hurt you!" Christine woke up in a panting fury.

"Darling, what is it?" Her fiancé Raoul, who was sleeping besides her, woke up in a stir, holding Christine.

"It's nothing, just another nightmare…" Christine got out of bed, and went into the kitchen. With all the maids' home for the night, she had to get herself something to drink.

'What is it with these recurring nightmares?' She thought to herself, reaching for a glass and some champagne, given as a gift from Andre and Firmin, though cost on the expensive side, for after the opera house caught fire, it was left to be abandoned. They both decided to own another Opera house, Opera Magnifique, after inspecting multiple times there was no Phantom or Phantess.

'What do they all mean?' She sipped at her champagne as she thought of the nightmares past.

'GET HIM! NO! DON'T LET HIM LIVE!' The Phantom, running down the streets of Paris, trying to dodge the bullets, and Christine, by his side, to alls surprise, guiding him along, as if to get him away from the harsh and brutal beatings to come, as if, dare she think, she cared for him in a way beyond belief.

'DON'T TOUCH HIM!' She shouted, 'He did nothing to you!'

All of a sudden came Raoul, in front of her, looking worried, 'Are you alright?'

She snapped out of her trance, and found Raoul, in front of her, looking worried, "I said, are you alright?" He got a wash cloth, and wet it down with water and came from behind her, placed the wash cloth atop her forehead, and held her close.

"Oh Raoul, whatever shall I do? The Phantom is there! AGAIN! In my head! No escaping, dodging, hiding from the emotions stinging like bees, whizzing like bullets in thin air!"

She started to cry and he held her closer.

He stroked her hair and caressed her trembling body.

"Let us sleep again, and try to forget about what happened in the past," Raoul said, walking from the kitchen, touching his scar from the Phantom. He didn't understand what Christine's obsession with him was. He too had been confronted and in more danger that she shall ever know. Why should she be the one in such agony? In his eyes, nightmares and dreams are what was wanted or feared by the subconscious, and honestly, he didn't want to go through what he did again. He almost lost her once to the Phantom, but he wouldn't let it happen again.

He got into bed and waited for her to come and follow. After 10 minutes, she didn't show. He got up, and headed toward the kitchen. Right before he entered, he heard a blood curdling screech. It was as if skin was being ripped off layer by layer and you were stuck watching.

He felt nervous jolts rushing throughout his spine. Gathering his courage, he stepped slowly into the kitchen.

He screamed as he saw the horrifying image and ran back to the bedroom to reach for his sword. He ran out the door, struggling to get the sheath around his waist and stepped out on to the wet, cold, cobble stoned streets. He looked around, trying to avoid the misty breath cloud forming from in front of his face each time he let out a hefty breath.

He couldn't find anything or anyone, just cold, wet, chilling air. He started back on his way to his mansion and was about to enter the threshold when he saw the door with a note attached to the front of it. Written in a crimson color, was the phrase, 'Keep your hand at the level of your eyes.' He detached it and walked inside, puzzled and shocked. The note was written in blood.


	2. Our Dear Prima Donna

'Who has sent this?' Raoul thought, not wanting to think the Phantom has returned. He walked into the living room and sat on the pale blue love seat with the matching silk pillows. He put the letter on the coffee table, and let it sit there with blood still wet on the paper. He grabbed his handkerchief and wiped his hands free of the blood. He picked up the silk pillow after his hands were clean and stared at the lovely flower patterns. So soft, and lovely they were, reminding him of the times where he and his Little Lotte would sit in the attic with her father not present, telling more wicked stories of the north, and eating sweet apple pie.

"Raoul, are you well?" Christine walked in, the living room, looking at her child hood sweetheart, husband to be on the love seat, pale as the wispily running clouds in a delicate summers sky.

"Christine, whatever you do, please don't go into the kitchen. Please!" Raoul looked at her longing, not wanting her to see what horrors were committed in the kitchen.

Christine, curious, and not knowing what was going on in her lovers mind, walked slowly into the kitchen.

"CHRISTINE! NOOO!" Raoul shot up and ran after her but, too late. She saw, screamed and fainted on the pale blue carpet.

"Oh my darling Christine, I told you no." Raoul bent down, and picked her up, and placed her on the love seat.

He left back to the kitchen, and started to clean up the mess. In the kitchen, was Carlotta's dog, tacked up on a wall, with his blood dripping down into their sink, staining the already crimson walls. On the table sat parchment, everywhere, with an ink pen dripping what looked like blood.

'That's where the note came from…' Raoul thought to himself.

Carlotta was sitting there, at the kitchen table, her eyes torn from her face, and bleeding heavily. She had a fork and knife in her hands, with the dog's head so neatly placed on a plate, and a butcher knife sticking through her heart. Atop her ear sat a rose, with a crimson ribbon, and a black one underneath it.

"Oh God, what have you DONE?" Raoul shouted, and slammed his hand the table.

The dog's head rolled slowly off the table, and landed at his feet, staring up at him pleadingly.

"Oh, this is sick," He said under his breathe, kicking the dog's head and watched it roll out the door.


	3. The Creatures Threshold

When Christine came to, she found herself placed in the back of the swan with heavy black cloth all around. She pulled the handle to her right and looked around. She saw candles, and a piano and it all looked so spectacular. She got up and looked around being familiar with her surroundings but not knowing who put her there. She saw, at the piano, the shape of a man. She walked ever so slowly remembering every step she took before. She started to sing her sweet song, and approached the hunched figure slowly. She touched his back, taking in the sweet melody of the music being pumped with fury from the hands of the man with no face. She felt tension rising up from the man's music with every inch she placed her hand up his back. When she had reached his neck his music became that of a symphony from Hell. Her song had become quick and hateful. She clenched the man shoulder, and ripped his body 'round. The head had turned so quickly and to look into its eyes would disgust the bravest man on earth. It was the Phantom, or was it? No! It couldn't be! It was Raoul, with the look of death, shabby, so thin and frail, practically a skeleton, wearing the mask of the man known as Erik. She backed away, crying not knowing for what. Was it for herself? Or did she pity the beast she saw before her. She heard herself scream as the creature placed his arms around her and tried to kiss her neck, beaded with sweat.

"CHRISTINE!" Raoul shouted from her side.

She backed away, falling off her giant bed, the wool and silk blankets coming with her. Her eyes were filled with terror as she remembered her nightmare. She could see this thing coming toward her, smiling as she struggled to get away from the demented face.

"Christine, it's me Raoul!" He came toward her, slowly, not knowing how she would react. His eyes were filled with sorrow and terror. What a toll this whole Phantom issue had put upon her.

Christine looked into the eyes of the creature with the gaping smile, baring no teeth, dragging its left leg toward her, moving ever so slowly. She felt so helpless.

'Oh my gosh,' she thought, 'I'm trapped! I'm trapped!' She was caught in a corner with the creature still coming toward her. She kicked out her found as it tried to put its arms around her, laughing hysterically. She watched as its leg broke off as the creature had fallen to the ground, and screamed in terror.

Raoul came toward her, crying ever so loudly, wanting to hold his dear Christine, wanting to save her from whatever her tortures may be. He tried to put his arms around her and she lashed out with her foot. She had hit his shin and he had fallen backwards, his leg going out from under him. He fell to the ground and screamed in pain.

Christine looked around and watched Raoul sitting on their carpet, holding his shin. She looked around the room and wondered what. She had happened came closer to Raoul, and he backed away, not wanting to be touched at the moment.

"Raoul, darling it's me. What happened? What is wrong? Please tell me!" Christine bent down, and removed Raouls' hand from his shin. She looked at it and it was badly bruised.

"Raoul, what is the matter? Who did this to you?" She bent down to kiss his injury.

"You're mad! Christine, you are I tell you!" Raoul backed away.

"Raoul, what do you mean? You were a monster! You tried to rape me! What is going on?" Christine sat on the floor crying silently this time, not knowing what she was going to do, looking at Raoul, who just kept clutching his shin.


End file.
